An interactive language learning program, via, e.g., the internet, that can reach a large number of users in varied locations, and which allows the users to work on their own schedule and at their own pace can stimulate language learning in a variety of locations not accessible or successfully accessed by other, static, language learning programs.
A useful component of an interactive language learning program is a convenient and accurate translation means or program that can provide a user translations for a variety of materials both inside and outside the language learning course materials. In this manner, a translation program can be used to supplement the user's language learning experience.
Probably the best known translation system is the various hardcopy language translation dictionaries. However, these dictionaries have drawbacks that render them generally unsuitable for effective language learning. They are not interactive, and thus users often find them dry and difficult to deal with. These inherent traits can translate into a user's dissatisfaction with the language learning experience in total, and ultimately defeat the program's goal to stimulate and encourage language learning. Too, hardcopy translation dictionaries may be difficult to procure, or the copies that are available may not be current. Again, these problems can manifest in a user's overall dissatisfaction with the underlying language instruction.
There are also known web-based translation programs that currently exist, yet each of these known programs also have characteristics that make them unsatisfactory for interactive language learning instruction. First, many of the known translation programs translate an entire target web page. These translations are often inaccurate because they provide literal translations without regard for sentence structure or context. Also, by providing a translation of an entire web page, these programs are counterproductive to language learning. Language instruction is most successful when it is interactive, and when the student is stimulated to put forth the effort to learn. One component of language learning is reading comprehension. Yet, when a student is able to receive an entire translation of any particular web page on the internet, he/she will not derive any motivation to try and translate on their own. Thus, by using currently available translation programs on the internet, the language student loses opportunities to become more proficient at reading and learning the second language.
Also, many of the known web-based translation programs are difficult to use, especially when a user/student opens and closes web pages while he/she is browsing the internet. In particular, with the known translation programs hosted on the internet, the user/student can only see either the original web page, or the translated web page provided by the translation program. The user can try and adjust the position and size of the two pages on their screen to view them simultaneously, but this is inconvenient at best, and can be a cumbersome or even difficult task for many novice users. Moreover, each time the user wishes to view and translate a new web page, they will be required to once again position and size the new web page and the translation page if they want to view, and thus compare, both simultaneously. Too, with known web-based translation programs, the user must separately open and close the translation program page in order to translate various different web pages, and thus, must keep track of both the web site of interest, and the web page hosting the translation program.
Therefore, there is a need for a language translation program offered through the internet that overcomes these limitations and is appropriate for a language learning context.